Cessna 525A accident near Newnan, Georgia, July 15, 2005
On July 15, 2005 at about 7:10 pm local time, a Cessna 525A, registered N3ST, was substantially damaged in an accident near Newnan, Georgia (Newnan airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delay in aborting the landing and his failure to maintain obstacle clearance. Contributing factors were hydroplaning condition, and the localizer antenna.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 15, 2005 · about 7:10 pm local time
- Place
- Newnan, Georgia · Newnan · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 525A · all 525As on the register
- Registration
- N3ST · registry record · serial 17
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot obtained a full weather briefing before departing on an instrument flight. No thunderstorms or rain was forecasted for the destination airport. The pilot was requested and received clearance for a visual approach at the destination airport. The pilot listened to the AWOS information and no rain or thunderstorm activity was reported. The controller informed the pilot their was a weather cell located 25 miles north of his position and provided a vector for a localizer runway 32 approach. The pilot verified the weather on the airplanes weather radar. The pilot was cleared for the approach 10 miles from the locator outer marker. The pilot lowered the flaps to 15-degrees and extended the landing gear at the locator outer marker. The pilot slowed the airplane to 115 knots and observed rain showers crossing the runway while descending through 200 feet. The airplane touched down at the 1,000 foot marker and the flaps were lowered to 60. The antiskid was on and the airplane started hydroplaning. The pilot attempted to use brakes and the hydroplaning increased. The pilot released the brakes and the airplane slowed down to 78 knots. The pilot applied brakes and the hydroplaning continued. The pilot elected to abort the landing with 2,300 feet of runway remaining. The airplane continued to hydroplane and became airborne 300 feet from the end of the runway. The left main landing gear door and right leading edge of the right wing collided with the localizer antenna on climb out. The pilot climbed to traffic pattern altitude , checked for damage, contacted personnel on the ground , and made a low pass for a visual check of damage. The pilot reentered left traffic and landed with out further incident.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,100 hours in all; 47 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,323 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 2005; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,500 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Williams International FJ44 (turbofan); 0 hours total
- Operator: Beehawk Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: VNC Venice FL at 5:45 pm
- Destination: CCO Newnan GA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,700 ft; scat at 2,800 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from FFC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.